Gridiron Pastime
by Avaunt
Summary: Heiji goes for an unexpected swim with the fish but catches a cold and Conan is stubborn to a fault but still kicks ass with a soccer ball. Throw in some teenage rebellion; karaoke and sit back and watch as Conan learns a little something about friendship


Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Cased Closed.

Summary: Heiji goes for an unexpected swim with the fish but catches a cold and Conan is stubborn to a fault but still kicks ass with a soccer ball. Throw in some teenage rebellion; karaoke and sit back and watch as Conan learns a little something about friendship. EP 174. One-shot.

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_Heiji Hattori hit the freezing water with a splash, the icy temperature forcing the air out of his lungs, stealing away any chance to call for help. The dark, relentless water swirled around him, and he could barely think as the sudden wet cold repeatedly stabbed his body like a knife. Heiji churned, utterly helpless when pitted against the strength of the Poseidon's rage. His lungs began to scream for air._

'_**I need air**__!' He kicked wildly, forcing himself through the heavy, wet medium to the surface. But the water seemed to pull him back down, not willing to give him back to the surface world. Heiji looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened in panic._

_The blades of the ship turbines cut through the water, pulling the helpless detective closer and closer. Heiji's movements became frantic as he moved closer to the blade's sharp deadly edge, the burning in his lungs escalating. He just didn't have the strength to push himself to the surface._

'**My clothes… my clothes are dragging me down**_!' With trembling fingers he quickly unbuckled his belt and shed his jeans. Next he ripped off his sweater. But despite the lightened load, Heiji could feel himself being pulled farther and farther down into the dark abyss. His lung's continued to burn with the need for air, his muscles screaming in pain. The harder he fought the deeper and deeper he sank. Until finally the icy darkness reached out and enveloped him, calling his name._

"_Hattori_…Hattori!"

Heiji could feel someone shaking his shoulder, and some part of his mind registered this as important. The rest of him just wished that they would stop. Didn't they know it was giving him a headache? Couldn't they see he was trying to sleep? Ignoring whoever 'they' were, Heiji stubbornly clung onto the threads of sleep that still surrounded him. He was tired goddamn it!

The annoying shaking continued and Heiji could vaguely make out a voice. Was someone talking to him?

"Hattori! Wake up!"

That sounded male. It was also familiar despite sounding stained. Maybe it was Kudo? Or… was that Conan? Heiji's forehead unconsciously creased in confusion and frustration. He was just so tired.

"Look! I think he's waking up!"

That voice was neither Kudo nor Conan and it was distinctly female. Curious now despite himself, Heiji struggled to open his eyes, but to no avail. Why couldn't he open his eyes? His eyelids felt as if they were sealed shut and weighed down with bricks. In fact, his entire body felt like lead. He was just so damn tired.

He was suddenly aware of a small, warm hand gripping his forearm tightly, to soft to be Kazuha's and much to small to be his mother's. But exhaustion kept him from puzzling over it for too long. His mind could do no more then acknowledge it's comfortable warmth, and his body unconsciously shifted closer.

"That's it son. Open those eyes."

A different voice again. Heiji's curiosity got the best of him. Where was he? Who was there? What was happening? He had to know. Stubbornly he tried to open his eyes again. Heiji pried them open with a final grunt of effort that sent a spasm of pain down his body. Wincing, he blinked rapidly, trying to focus on the fuzzy images in front of him.

Slowly through his suddenly bleary vision, the images came into focus and Heiji found himself looking up into familiar bright bespectacled blue eyes that shone with relief. Twisting his head slightly, Heiji found himself surrounded by other familiar faces; Ran, Mouri and another grey haired man that Heiji was _sure_ he knew.

"Your awake!" The utter exhilaration and relief in the voice dragged Heiji's eyes back to the seven-year-old boy who gripped his arm tightly. Who actually wasn't seven years old, but Heiji's mind was simply too tired to tell him why.

In fact, now that his eyes were open, his whole body seemed to beg that he close them again. However, Heiji's curiosity and constant need for answers refused to let them close just yet.

"What happened?" His voice was barely a whisper, yet it was as rough and coarse as sandpaper. His throat burned and somewhere in the back of Heiji's mind he made a note that perhaps talking wasn't such a good idea. He was just so exhausted.

"You fell into the ocean…"

The rest of the explanation slowly faded out as he let his eyes drift close. Soon the voice was nothing more then a comfortable baritone in the background and Heiji could no longer fight his body's demand for sleep. Leaving the waking world once more, Heiji Hattori promptly sank into Morpheus's dark, snug embrace.

***

Conan Edogawa, known only to a select few as Shinichi Kudo, felt a sudden stab of panic and disappointment as he watched his best friend's eyes gradually drift close and his breathing slow down into the familiar, steadyrhythmof deep sleep. His own cerulean eyes darted over to the ship doctor who was seated on the other side of the Osaka native.

"Will Heiji-Nissan be alright?" He only had to fake the high-pitch whine. The concern and fear in his tone was all too real.

The grey-haired doctor did not promptly answer. Instead, he listened to Heiji's breathing through his stethoscope and he checked the teenage detective's temperature and pulse once again. Next, he gingerly probed the large contusion that was continuing to swell on Heiji's forehead. Finally, after what seemed like hours to Conan, the doctor sighed and leaned back.

"The fact that he woke up and was responsive to his environment is encouraging. This means that the he isn't suffering from as severe of a concussion as I feared." He addressed only the adults in the room, and once again Conan felt the familiar frustration bubble up and he cursed his current size.

"But he fell back to sleep so quickly!" Ran was quick to point out.

The doctor shook his head. "That's to be expected. His body is exhausted from both the temperature of the water and the strain from battling the waves. Not to mention that knock on the head. What I am more worried about is the risk of pneumonia."

Conan's eyes narrowed. He did **not** like the sound of that.

"His pulse is a little to high for comfort, and his temperature is still a little to low. Also, I'm afraid his breathing is irregular and I could detect a faint crackle when he breathed in as well. I'm also concerned about the amount of seawater he breathed in when he first went over board. It's impossible to know for sure, but there are tons of bacteria in that water that could easily increase his chances of infection."

"What can we do?"

The doctor looked over at Ran and offered a comforting smile. "I'm afraid all we can do is make sure he gets an abundance of rest somewhere that's clean and dry, as well as making sure he gets plenty of fluids. Hopefully we caught it in time and can prevent his lungs from developing an infection."

Conan clenched a fist in anger, his whole body taunt with self-loathing. He should have caught this sooner! He should have made Heiji see a doctor the moment he got back on board. But he had been on such a high after catching the murderer and too glad to see his fellow detective alive that he barely noticed the occasional cough and sneeze getting worse and worse. Conan vehemently wished he had paid closer attention now.

(Flashback)

"_Admit it Hattori-kun! You believe that Omamori saved your life!" Ran laughed and clasped her hands together, no doubt seeing sparkling hearts and stars in her mind's eye. "Kazuha-chan is protecting you even from afar!"_

"_No Ahou!" Heiji argued back, his eyes narrowed in aggravation. He let out a sudden sneeze, cutting his argument short._

_Trailing behind them, Conan rolled his eyes at his oblivious friend. It was so obvious to everyone, except Hattori and Kazuha, that they both liked each other. Yet whenever the subject was brought up, both childhood friends vehemently denied the attraction. Pointing that fact out never failed to make Hattori turn beat red and sputter in anger; an affliction that also never failed to amuse._

_Conan felt a hand quickly ruffle his hair. Looking up he gave Heiji a heated glare. He hated when the older boy did that! And by the mischievous look Heiji directed back, the 'Detective of the West' was well aware of this fact._

_Heiji smirked. "What ya rollin' your eyes for…?" A harsh, hacking cough cut the teenager off mid sentence._

_Quickly, Conan jumped away. "Do not give me your cold!"_

_This time it was Heiji turn to roll his eyes. "Relax Kudo. Just some left over sea water."_

_Conan's eyes widened at the use of his real name, and he quickly looked around. He sighed in relief when he saw no one else near. "Just keep your germs away from me!"_

_Heiji grinned and crossed his arms. "Don't tell me the 'Great Detective of the East' is afraid of little, itty bitty germs?"_

_Conan scoffed. "I'm just afraid of Hittori germ's in general." Conan looked up and smirked. "I don't want to catch 'stupid'. I hear it's incurable."_

_Heiji glared. But Conan wasn't worried; he knew that his friend's temper was as quick to end as it was to start. Sure enough, the older boy's frown twitched and then he burst into laughter. But just as swiftly, the laughter turned into deep, hacking coughs. Heiji closed his eyes against the unexpected assault and bent over as his chest burst into pain, every cough sending surges of fiery pain over his entire body._

_Conan's smirk quickly transformed into a concerned frown and he immediately moved closer to steady his friend. Sharp cerulean eyes instantly scrutinized his friend's condition; missing nothing. Conan took note of the sizable knot on Heiji's forehead and the slight dilation of his pupils. He could feel Heiji's body tremble beneath his steady hand and he noticed the whitish pallor of Heiji's normally dark skin. Every cough left Heiji gasping for air and Conan found himself supporting more and more of Heiji's weight._

_Conan felt his heart dropped like a stone. '__**Something's wrong. Very wrong**__.' Every instinct Conan possessed was screaming at him. Heiji was in deep trouble, trouble that was above and beyond any of Conan's expertise. Suddenly the horrible coughing stopped and Heiji became dead weight as he slipped into oblivion. Looking into his friend's abruptly slack features, the concern Conan felt moments before shattered and gave way to full blown terror._

"_RAN-NEE-CHAN!"_

(End of Flashback)

Gingerly Conan replaced the ice pack on Heiji's forehead. The Osaka teenager didn't even twitch at the change in temperature; a fact that made Conan's frown deepen. It was strange and most definitely wrong to see Heiji so frighteningly still. Normally Heiji was the definition of constant motion; fingers would fiddle, or feet would tap. And he was never so utterly silent. Oh it was true that Heiji could be quiet, especially when his hat was forward and he was investigating a murder. But even then, Conan swore he could literally hear Heiji organize his thoughts and make intuitive leaps of logic. Heiji's entire presence radiated vivacity and good cheer, easily filling an empty room.

But that was not the case today.

Conan looked around and was pleased to see that the infirmary was finally empty, the doctor leaving with the promise to be back for another neurology check. Conan was just glad to be by himself. At the moment Conan didn't have the will to continue acting like a typical seven-year-old boy. Looking down his best friend, who was oblivious to his surroundings, Conan couldn't help but smirk. It was ironic that even when unconscious Heiji made it easier for Conan to act like himself. Heiji never treated Conan like he was seven. And normally that worried Conan; sure that Heiji would one day accidentally blow his cover! But there were also times that Conan was extremely grateful. Not that he would ever say it out loud!

(Flashback)

"_No way Ran-chan!"_

_Conan narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms in protest. There was absolutely no way he was going to give in this time. He had some pride! The seventeen-year old turned seven-year-old boy stared up at his childhood friend with an expression of complete refusal. While Conan was utterly committed to maintaining his cover, there were moments where a line had to be drawn. And Conan was determined to not only draw that line, but highlight it and mark it with flashing, bright lights too. He had his pride, damn it!_

_Ran scowled with her hands on her hips. "Conan-kun, you'll love it! All your classmates are going!"_

_Conan shook his head and stomped his feet, the perfect picture of a little kid having temper tantrum. "I don't want to go sing Karaoke!" He was well aware of the Karaoke trend that was sweeping through and utterly captivating the Japanese youth. But that didn't mean he was willing to participate! He solved murders for goodness sake! He caught criminals and put them behind bars! He _did not_ sing badly written pop songs!_

"_Knock, knock?"_

_Heiji Hattori casually leaned against the door frame, his hands resting comfortably in his sport jacket pockets. The dark skinned Osaka native's signature hat was on backwards and he looked at his two friends, amusement clearly written on his face. Conan broke eye contact with Ran and nearly smiled. He never thought he would actually be glad to hear that familiar Osaka accent!_

"_Hattori-kun!" Ran gasped in surprise. "What are you doing here?"_

"_Looking for Ku-Conan-kun actually." Heiji smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. Conan glared. Heiji's grin quickly turned into a smirk. "But I didn't know Conan already had plans. I guess I made the trip for nothing!"_

_Conan's eyes widened desperately. "Heiji-nee-san traveled very far to come see me Ran-Chan. I want to hang out with him!" He looked up at Ran-Chan and smiled innocently. "Wouldn't it be rude if I didn't after he traveled all that way?"_

_Ran frowned, but Conan knew he had her. Ran was never rude to anyone; except perhaps to her father and Shinichi. There was no way she would say no now. Conan inwardly cheered. No karaoke for him! And it was all thanks to Hattori. That thought brought Conan up short and he eyed the teenage detective curiously. Why was he here anyways? Was it a case? But Hattori's was not wearing his cap turned to the front, and he looked completely relaxed, both aspects suggesting that he wasn't working on a case._

"_What are we going to be doing Heiji-ni-san?"_

_Heiji winked. "That's a secret. You'll find out soon, that is… if he can go?" Heiji looked over at Ran questionably. "How 'bout it Nee-Chan? Can I take the brat off your hand's for a little while?" Conan glared again._

_Ran looked down and saw the obvious want in Conan's eyes and sighed. "Of course he can go! After all, you came all the way from Osaka." She looked around hopefully. "Is Kazuha here too?"_

"_Nah, that girl volunteered to help with the school bake-sale. She's probably up to her waist in cookies right now."_

"_I'm don't know if I'm more surprised that Kazuha didn't make you help, or if you didn't stay behind to taste test!" Ran remarked with a laugh._

_Heiji gagged. "Obviously you have never had her baking. The only way they'll sell her cookies if they advertise them as pot scrubbers!" Ran quickly slapped the back of his head. "Ow!" He looked up and glared. "It's true!"_

_Conan sweat-dropped. This was taking to long. Why was Heiji here?! "Come on Heiji-nee-san!" He grabbed the cuff of Heiji's sweater and pulled impatiently. "I want to go!" Heiji laughed and ruffled Conan's hair. Conan glared for the third time._

"_Alright, alright." He waved at Ran. "See ya later Nee-Chan. I'll have the brat home sometime tonight."_

_As soon as they were walking down the street, Conan dropped Heiji's sleeve and crossed his arms. "Alright, why are you here?" His voice completely lost the cute seven-year-old tone from moments before. "A case?"_

_Heiji shook his head. "No case." He scratched the back of his neck and looked down at Conan. "Don't look so surprised Kudo. I can come for just a visit ya know!" Conan just narrowed his eyes and Heiji rolled his own in response. "I heard from Kazuha that Ran planned on making ya do 'kid' stuff. Figured you'd hate that. Thought I'd come down and help ya out with these!" He flashed two white tickets in Conan's face._

_Conan's eyebrows shot up in complete surprise. His heart pumping, Conan swiped them from Heiji's hands. "Where did you get these? They were completely sold out!" In his hands he held two tickets to the Japan vs. South Korea soccer game. He could barely believe he was holding them! This game was supposed to be one of the biggest sporting events in Tokyo this year. He could not believe Heiji got tickets!_

"_I know a guy." Cue patent Conan glare. "No really! I solved a case for one of the players and as a 'thank you' he gave me those two tickets. And since you're the biggest soccer freak I know… I figured you wouldn't mind having the second ticket."_

_Conan smiled, really smiled and for a moment it was Shinichi Kudo staring out from behind Conan's glasses. "Thanks Hattori."_

_Heiji put his hands behind his head and looked up. "Don't mention it Kudo. What are friends for?"_

_(End of Flashback)_

Conan smiled to himself. That had been such an awesome game. It had been also one of the few times a dead body hadn't shown up and interrupted their day. When he thought about it, it was actually kind of depressing how many murders occurred when either Hattori or him were around. They seemed to literally fall out of the sky when the two detectives were together! But that day had been thankfully corpse free.

Looking down at Heiji's sleeping face, Conan smirked. Of course, that didn't mean they stayed out of trouble the entire day. Trouble always seemed to follow them around. But at least on that day it had been accompanied by a pulse and had waited until after the soccer game!

(Flashback)

"_I'll got to hand it to ya, Kudo. That was a mildly entertaining soccer game." The dark-skinned teenager remarked as the two detectives headed towards the train station. That game had just ended, and the atmosphere of the exiting crowd was exuberant and triumphant. After a close, grueling game, Japan managed to come out on top, winning 2 – 1._

_Conan looked up, amused. "Only if by mildly, you mean completely and utterly one of the best soccer games I have ever watched? Then yes, I'd have to agree."_

_Heiji laughed. "That is exactly what I meant! I guess soccer isn't too bad."_

"_Better then baseball?"_

"_Don't be crazy Kudo!" Heiji narrowed his eyes. "I'll admit that is was a good game, but soccer will never be better then baseball!"_

_Conan laughed; feeling much better then he had in a long time. "Well, at least you know more about the game then those idiots behind us." Conan shook his head in disgust. "They didn't know _anything_!"_

"_Ya should a seen their faces when ya told them that!" Heiji snickered. "A seven-year-old kid turning around and telling them that they were 'completely clueless so they should just shut up and stop slowly killing the sport single handedly.' I thought they were going to punch ya right then and there!"_

"_Well they were completely clueless!" Conan defended himself. "We didn't go to listen to their stupid commentary." But his mouth twitched, betraying his amusement._

_Heiji chuckle. "Hey, I agree with you!" He looked up and groaned. "Would you look at that crowd? Stay here. I'm going to see if I can grab us some train tickets." He looked around. "Meet ya at that empty spot by that alley over there?" He paused, glowering at the lineup. "That is… if I make it back alive?"_

_Conan shook his hand at Heiji's antics and nodded. Walking over to the said empty spot, he couldn't help but smile. Except for those stupid guys, it really had been a great game. It had been an all around great day too. Conan couldn't remember the last time he and Heiji just hung out with no girls and definitely no murders. It was nice. Conan felt more like Shinichi Kudo today then he had in weeks!_

"_Hey! Its that bratty kid!"_

_Conan looked up in annoyance and groaned. Not even five feet away stood the four guys from the game. They all glared at Conan. None of them could have been accused of being scrawny and at the moment they all didn't look very happy. The group was the perfect picture of teenage rebellion everywhere: black, leather biker jackets, piercing and tattoos. Don't forget the ridiculously styled hair. One even cracked his knuckles threateningly. If Conan was anyone else, he might have been intimidated. But after facing down cold-blooded murders on a daily bases Conan couldn't help it; he rolled his eyes. He had such bad luck!_

"_Look at that! The punk is still giving us attitude!"_

_Conan backed up as the group stepped closer, not liking at all the look on their faces. Within a few short steps he found himself in the alley, alone. Looking around, Conan cursed: the idiots had him penned in. Conan scowled. Next time he was so going to make Heiji wait by a secluded alley and _he_ was going to get the tickets!_

_The apparent leader of the group stepped up. "You should respect your elders boy! I don't really like that mouth of yours."_

"_Don't worry, I like yours even less!" The words just flew off his tongue, and Conan literally clamped his hand over his own mouth. Oops. That had not been what he planned to say. He had planned to act like an actual seven-year-old, but for the first time in ages, Conan spoke without thinking. And apparently, it had been the wrong thing to say. The leader growled, and Conan didn't even know that the human face had the ability to turn that color purple._

"_That's it." All four teenagers stepped up. "Somebody ought to teach you a lesson!"_

"_Hey!!"_

_All five pairs of eyes darted over to the entrance of the alley. Heiji Hattori stood in the middle of the opening; two train tickets clutched in his right hand. The dark-skinned teenager narrowed his eyes as he took in the situation. From what he could see, Kudo had somehow managed to get cornered by the four, decently beefy, guys from the soccer game. Heiji almost sighed. How typical. Only Kudo could be left alone for five minutes and in some way still get into trouble._

"_What are ya doin'?" Heiji held up his hand. "No, wait, let me guess. Ya all angry that some punk kid told you off. What's worse, he was right. Now ya guys are going to teach him a lesson. Grunt if I'm getting close."_

"_And you too, if you don't watch your mouth!"_

_Heiji gave him a flat look. Then he walked over to the side of the building and leaned up against it. With his hands in his pockets, and his hat still on backwards, Heiji Hattori was the perfect depiction of relax and casual. "I really wouldn't, if I were ya."_

"_What are you going to do about it?!"_

"_Nothing."_

_Silence greeting Heiji's response; no one answered. Even Conan eyes widened at his friend in surprise. He wasn't going to do anything? Last time he checked, they were indeed friends, and (Conan looked up) there were still four angry teenagers that wanted to pulverize him. And Heiji wasn't going to do anything?!_

_Emerald green met cerulean blue, and Heiji smiled. "He doesn't need any help. And if you guys think your pride hurts now…imagine how it will feel when a kid kicks your ass!"_

_Conan smiled. He was well aware of his abilities but the confidence in his friend's tone still felt good. It was great to be conscious of your own capabilities but sometimes it was just nice to know that others saw it too._

_The not-child smirked. "You'd better listen to Hattori. He's actually smarter then he looks." Heiji scowled at that little comment._

_The four grunts didn't listen. Not that Conan actually expected them too. All four rushed Conan at once, rage and embarrassment clearly showing on their face. Conan danced around the meaty punches being thrown, never standing in one place for too long. The four teenagers definitely didn't have speed on their side, and after dealing with Kaito Kid, Conan found that dodging their fists was not a challenge. The detective then pushed the button on his belt, and with one stimulated kick and one deadly soccer ball, two of the teenagers were immediately taken out._

_The other two were handled just as easily. He loved Professor Agasa's gadgets! Wiping his bangs out of his eyes, Conan looked over at Heiji and grinned. His sharp eyes never missed anything, so he easily noticed that Heiji's body was tense and ready. While Heiji believed that his friend could handle himself, he obviously was just as ready to jump in and lend a hand._

_The Osaka native eased off the wall. "Took you long enough Kudo!"_

_Conan glared half-heartedly. "Unlike some people who lazed around, I actually took care of business."_

_Heiji shrugged. "I didn't want to give up my front seats." He looked down at Conan and smiled. "That was most entertaining scene all day!"_

"_Glad that my potential threat of injury was so entertaining for you!" Conan deadpanned._

_Heiji shook his head. "Nah, I'm used to that. It was the seeing four guys getting their ass kicked by a kid half their size. Priceless!"_

_Conan shook his head. "Idiot."_

"_Oh, I almost forgot!" Heiji shrugged his backpack off and began to rummage through it. "I've got ya something…ah ha!" With a cry of triumph, Heiji revealed a delicate, metal charm, decorated with an assortment of beads. "It's a South Korea Omamori for good luck."_

"_Why…?" Conan eyed the charm; unimpressed._

"_It's not for ya, Ahou! It's for Nee-Chan. I figure she's going to be a little bit upset with ya for skipping out today. This is to get back in her good graces or something…"_

_Conan's face beamed. Heiji was completely right; Ran was going to be upset. She'd pretend not to be, but he knew his childhood friend better then an Arthur Doyle novel and that girl would be upset deep down. This was just the thing to cheer her up. "Thanks' Hattori! When did you even go get this?"_

_Heiji smiled mysteriously. "Don't mention it Kudo; I've got your back." The two friends were silent for a moment as they walked back to the train station. Suddenly Heiji chuckled. "You know what's ironic; those guys, who know nothing about soccer, just got their ass's handed to them by a soccer ball!"_

_Conan burst out laughing._

(End of Flashback)

Conan chuckled. Ran had indeed been upset, and just liked Heiji had predicted, the Omamori charm had helped the two detectives get back in her good graces. It had been a good day. Looking down at Heiji's abnormally pale face, Conan could feel the concern, worry and guilt that continued to twist deep in the pit of his stomach. Heiji had known that Conan had been capable of fighting his own battle that day, but the Osaka native had still been there to watch his back. Where was he when Heiji needed him today?

Heiji shifted, and his eyelid fluttered, letting a hint of emerald green peak through. Conan eyes sharpened at the sudden movement, and he immediately noticed the altered rhythm of his friend's breathing. Heiji was starting to wake up.

"Kudo?"

Conan's eyes widened and he whipped his head around a little desperately; he was even gladder that the infirmary was empty now. But after hearing the confusion and twinge of panic in his friend's voice, Conan couldn't bring himself to lecture the Osaka native. He'd do it later.

"About time you woke up." Conan quickly poured a glass of water.

Heiji looked around. "Why am I in the infirmary? What happened?" The panic was promptly replaced with frustration. Conan could sympathize. If there was one thing that both detectives despised, it was a lack of information. Heiji struggled to sit up and Conan made no move to help; that would be the last thing his friend wanted.

"Turns out that swimming with the fish isn't that healthy for you." At Heiji's questioning look, Conan elaborated. "You have a concussion, and the doctor is concerned that you might develop pneumonia. So drink this." He shoved the glass of water into Heiji's hand.

"Oh, is that all?" Heiji shrugged nonchalantly and took small sips.

Conan's already frayed nerves snapped. "No! That is not all!" He barked. All the worry and anger that built up broke through and Conan, with reckless abandonment, unleashed them on to Heiji. "After coughing up a lung, you collapsed suddenly on the deck! Then you were unconscious for two hours! The doctor said you could have gone into a coma! And now you could catch pneumonia on a freaking boat, in the middle of the god damned sea!"

Wide emerald green eyes stared at Conan; shocked and a little frightened at the outburst. Heiji looked down at his hands and said, very, very quietly: "Sorry."

At the tired sound in Heiji's voice, the anger left Conan like the tide, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. After all, Heiji shouldn't be the one apologizing.

"You shouldn't be the one apologizing."

Heiji looked up. "Then… who? Because I don't think the murderer is going to suddenly have a change of heart and…" A harsh cough cut him off, and this time Conan gentle helped Heiji lay back down. Conan learning too absolutely hate that sound.

"I'm sorry."

"Your sorry?" Heiji looked up surprised. "Why would you be sorry?"

Conan looked away unable to meet the eyes of his friend. "I should have had your back. This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been alone."

Heiji shook his head, his eyes serious. "I think your forgetting who left who. I was the one who went out on my own first Kudo." Conan opened his mouth. "No, don't interrupt me. You didn't hit me, and push me overboard. This wasn't your fault."

"I should have had your back." Conan stubbornly insisted.

Heiji eyes began to close, his body already demanding sleep. Valiantly he struggled to stay awake, emerald green staring into cerulean blue. "Not… to sound cheesy, but you always have my back. Or have I been by myself for the last couple hours?"

Conan shrugged. "Someone had to make sure you wouldn't die from a cold."

Heiji nodded, completely satisfied, as if that one statement verified his point. "That's all the evidence I need."

It was as if that last proclamation robbed him of the last shred of willpower he had and Heiji could no longer fight the dark shadows of sleep that crept along the edge of his consciousness. Conan watched as his friend once again slowly fell under Morpheus's spell, until at last, his emerald green eyes were completely hidden and he was once more oblivious to the conscious world.

Looking down at his friend's face, Conan contemplated the rather abrupt conversation. He consideration Heiji's assurance that it wasn't his fault and immediately concluded that his friend was indeed wrong. All evidence proved that Conan had not had Heiji's back. If he had, Heiji most certainly would not be in the infirmary.

That being said, he would definitely have his back now. So Conan kicked up his feet and slouched in the chair, completely prepared to spend the entire night in the extremely uncomfortable infirmary chair. Conan stubbornly planned to be there each and every time Heiji woke up.

Because after today, he would always have his best friend's back.

* * *

Hope you like it! Please read and review.

Also want to thank The Plot Bunny Whisperer for being my Beta. Thanks!

Oh! And it anyone knows of any decent Heiji/Detective Conan fics, please let me know! :)


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